Releasable handle for vestibule curtains



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,707

v H. H. scHRoYER RELEASABLE HANDLE FOR VESTIBULE CURTAINS Filed March 11, 1927 Patented Jan. 3,' 1928.

marmein STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY H. vSCHROYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MORTON MANUFACTUR- INGCOMPANY, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. A

Application led March 11, 1927. Serial No. 174,447.

In the use of vestibule curtains be-` tween the vestibules of railway coaches considerable dilhculties are encountered when coaches are separated by having the handles pulled olf of the curtains or the handle and curtain pulled off or the curtain mounting due to the failure of the brakeman or other car attendant to release the curtain handle from engagement with `its hook before the coaches are separated. f l i To obviate the above conditionsfthis invention has been devised for the purpose of.; providing an limproved handle for use Yona railway car vestibule curtain7 said handle being constructedV withv a bowed resilient.A handle section pivotally mounted at one end` to a-supporting section having notches orl locking pockets therein permitting the second end of the bowed handleto be releasably sprung into lockingengageinent with said notched supporting section `under ordinary conditions but permitting the curtainhandle section to be automatically released from en-y gagement with a curtain handle hook onan adjacent car when a pair of cars are separated and an attendant has failed to release the vestibule curtain. l Y

It is an object or thisdinvention t0 provide an improved releasable handle for a. railway car vestibule curtain said handle being so constructed that under normal con-` ditions it will remain latched While under abnormal conditionsor strains the handle will automatically release before permitting injury thereto or to a vestibule curtain to which the handle is attached.

It is also an object' of this inventionto provide a railway car vestibule curtain-with a handle inountinghaving a handle member pivotally engaged thereon adapted to be held in a latched tensioned position under ordinary conditions or use but furthermore being adapted to permitrelease of the tension handle when subjected to abnormal'tem sional strains. j l

It is furthermore an object VOrthis inven-y tion to provide an improved handle mechanisin adapted fork use on vestibule curtains and the like, said handlemechanism embracing a handle support having communicating recesses therein permitting a free end or a. pivoted handle to be first engaged in one of said recesses and thenv moved into latching position with the other of said recesses to hold the handle tensioned in a latched `position ready lor It is an important object or this invention Y* to provide a vestibulecurtain with an improved iele'asable handle which is adapted to be engaged on a vestibule curtain hook and which will permit of automatic -release from engagement with said hook whenia pair of railway cars are separated prior to the disconnection of the curtain rromengagement with its hook.

Other and further important objects of. this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and specification.v

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the vdrawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: y

Figure l is a front plan view of an 1inproved vestibule curtain releasable handle mechanism in open position embodying the principles of this invention.v n 1 Figure 2 is a plan view of the releasable handle in vclosed position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the handle showing therst step in the closing of the handle. y

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken'on line-4 4 ofFigure 1.

j As shown on the drawings:

Y .The improved releasable railway car vestibule curtain handle mechanism ofL this in-v vention comprises a connecting bar 1 having integrally formed on one end thereof a split clamping Vsleeve 2 having apertured clamping anges 3 integrally formed on the split ends thereof. Also integrally formed onthe clamping .sleeve 2 is a notched or recessed socket or knuckle 4 supporting a pin 5. Pivotallyniounted in the socket 4 on said pin 5 is,one coiled end 6 or' a yflexible bowed metal or flat spring handle 7 having rigidly` secured on the under or inner peripheral racethereor a bowed or segment shaped tapered shoe or liner 8 which reinforces ythe middle arched portion of said bowed handleV 7 The other end of the bowed metal handle 7 is coiled to form a latch head 9.

side wall thereof provided with a curved notch or pocket 13 leading into a lower or primary recess 14 which communicates with a smaller and upper latching recess or pocket 15. To use the handle mechanism the clamping sleeves 2 and 10 are adapted to be engaged over the covered rod or bar ol" a vestibule curtain and there clamped in place by means of bolts or other suitableV means engaged through the apertures in the respective flanges 3 and 11 of said sleeves. rIhe kopen .handle 7 is now adapted to be swung downwardly about the pivot pin 5 from the open position shown in Figure 1 into the closed position shown in Figure 3 with ,the coiled handle head or latch 9 engaged through the side recess 13 to seat in the lower pocket or recess 14 in the socket or knuckle 12.A The handle is now adapted tol bev tensioned and Vpulled upwardly to permit the'coiled handle head 9 to slide upwardly and move from the lower notch 14 into the upper recess or notch 15 and remain seated therein a releasable latched position with the bowed handle 7 under tension in the arched position illustrated in Figure 2 ready for use.

The improved handle mechanism is adapted, as hereinbefore stated, to be mounted on the free end of a vestibule curtain to permit the curtain t0 be pulled or extended from one car across a Yvestibule passage to permit the middle reinforced portion of the handle 7 to be engaged on a hook mounted on an adjacent railway car vestibule face plate. Under ordinary conditionsv of operation the latching end of therhandle 7 is adapted -tobe resiliently held in locked position seated in the recess orpoclret 15 of the handle supporting section. When, however, the handle 7 is subjected to abnormal tensional strains as for inst-ance when two railway cars are Ybeing separated and an attendant has failed to runhook the curtain, said Vhandle 7 will stand additional tensioning suflicient to ipermit the latch head 9 of the handle to be pulled or snapped out of the latching recess or pocket 15, thereby automatically releasing the handle 7 permitting the same to swing outwardly about its pivot pin 5 into the position shown in Figure 1 thereby automatically becoming released from engagement with the curtain retaining .hook mounted on one of said railway ears. This releasing action of the improved handle prevents the destruction of the handle and the curtain on which the handle' is mounted thereby obviating the replacement of said handle, saving the expense incidental to the supplying of a new handle if the same was of the old type construction and a curtain was not released prior tothe separating of a pair of coaches. While the improved releasable handle has been described for use in combination with ay railway car vestibule curtain it will, of course, beunderstood that said handle may be used i-n any other combination or for any other purpose desired.

I am aware that many changes may be s comprising va base section, a spring vhandle sectiony pivotally mounted onfsaid base section with one end of said handle section resiliently Jlatched in said base section'for use under normal operating'conditions and:

releasable under abnormal operating conditions when said'handle section is subjected to abnormal. tensional strains. Y

2.- The'combination with a curtain, of a base section secured thereon having va plurality of connected latching recesses therein, a bowed handlesectionhaving one end thereof Vpivotally mounted on said base section, and a head formed on the other end of said handle section adapted to be engaged in one of said recesses Vand then pulled into latching engagement with the other of said recesses when said handle section istensioned. L y

The combination with a vestibule curtain, of a handle mechanism secured theretov Iand comprising a base section having aVY plurality of latching recesses in one end thereof, a bowed handle pivotally mounted on the other end of said basesection,v and a latch head on said bowed handle adapted to be swung downwardly for engagement in one of said recesses and then pulled outwardly -into spring latching engagement with another of saidv recesses to hold the bowedv handle ina strained latched position for use under normal operating conditions land -releasable when subjected to sional strains. v

4. A vhandle mechanism vcomprising Va connecting bar, a clamping head on one end thereof, a bowed handle pivotally mounted on said clamping head, a latching head formed on the other end of said handle, a second clamping head formed on the other end of said connecting bar and havinglatching recesses therein adapted'to removably receive the handle latch headV engaged therein to hold the handle tensioned and latched under normal operating conditions and permitting release of said handle under abnormal operating conditions.

5. A handle mechanism comprising a base section having latching recesses in one end thereof, a bowed handle pivotally mounted on the other end thereof, a reinforcing Asegabnormal tenment secured to said handle, and a latch head on said handle for removable engagement in said latching recesses.

6. A handle mechanism of the class described, comprising a mounting section having a pair of connected latching recesses in one end thereof, a bowed resilient spring handle pi'voted in the other end thereof, means for reinforcing said handle, and a resilient latching head formed on said handle adapted to lirst be engaged in one of said recesses and then pulled into latching engagement with the other of said recesses holding the handle in a bowed tensioned position for use under normal conditions resilient bowed handle pivotally mountedl thereon adapted to have a resilient latching connection with said base section under normal conditions and further adapted to be automatically released from latching engagement with said base section when the handle is subjected to abnormal strains.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HARRY H. SCHROYER. 

